In modern aerial warfare a plurality of weapons may be mounted in a weapons launcher package. The weapons launcher package is in turn installed in the weapons bay of an aircraft. During an attack weapons are delivered sequentially from the weapons launcher package through the weapons bay door of the aircraft.
Such a weapons launcher package can be quite large in diameter, for example, one form of weapons launcher package has a diameter of 75 inches. The weapons launcher package must be manipulated under the receiving aircraft, and then lifted upwardly into the weapons bay of the aircraft. In one particular aircraft the spacing between the bottoms of the weapons bay doors when open and the underlying surface is 84 inches. It will thus be understood that apparatus for positioning and lifting a weapons launcher package relative to such an aircraft must have an absolute minimum vertical dimension when in the lowered condition in order to allow the necessary clearance between the weapons launcher package and the open weapons bay doors of the aircraft.
The present invention comprises an auxiliary lift adapter for receiving, transporting and lifting a weapons launcher package which fulfills the objective of permitting the weapons launcher package to be manipulated under the open weapons bay doors of an aircraft and then lifted into the weapons bay of the aircraft. In accordance with the broader aspects of the invention, this is accomplished by locating the entire lifting mechanism of the auxiliary lift adapter in spaces which exist between the exterior of the weapons launcher package and vertical and horizontal planes extending tangent to the sides and the bottom of the weapons launcher package, respectively. By this means there is provided an auxiliary lift adapter which is characterized by minimum vertical dimensions when in the lowered condition and yet is fully adapted to lift a weapons launcher package into the weapons bay of an aircraft.
More specifically, the auxiliary lift adapter of the preseent invention comprises parallel top load beams for supporting a large diameter cylindrical object. The top load beams are spaced apart a distance substantially less than the diameter of the cylindrical object, and the cylindrical object is supported on the top load beams with the lower portion thereof extending beneath the top load beams. Bottom load beams are positioned directly beneath the top load beams, and scissors mechanisms are employed to raise and lower the top load beams relative to the bottom load beams. Each scissors mechanism includes an exterior arm pivotally connected to its bottom load beams and slidably connected to its top load beam, an interior arm pivotally connected to its top load beam and slidably connected to its bottom load beam, and a pin pivotally connecting the midregions of the arms. Hydraulic cylinders are used to actuate the scissors mechanisms. Each hydraulic cylinder is provided with a safety locking valve for preventing operation thereof in the event of loss of hydraulic pressure, and each hydraulic cylinder is adapted to support the cylindrical object in the event of failure or disengagement of the other cylinder.